A Guardian's Beginning
by Rothalion
Summary: A story discussing Auron's life growing up in the temple. Tells how he faces his fears and rivals, and shows what went into making him the willfull and strong warrior that he became. Kinoc, Braska and a host of OC take part in the tale.
1. Default Chapter

Title: A Guardian' s Beginning

Author: Rothalion

Rating: PG-13 Rape

Summery: A story discussing Auron's youth and early years. How Braska raised the orphaned boy and Auron struggled to overcome his fears. Our red warrior wasn't always as fierce as we know him to be. Much of his younger life was important in that part of his development. Kinoc pays a visit as well as a few original characters. Some chapters may be merged, I have struggled with how to divide them up.

Genre: General

Review: 

Disclaimer: Square owns them I just like to play with them. Reskar, Kirrick, Legeron, Lucian and Girig are mine and there may be a few others.

A Guardians Beginning

Chapter 1

The small circle of warrior Monks and priests surrounded the diminutive, wet and seemingly furious figure of a black haired boy. Obviously cold, hungry and cast into a situation he could not hope to either change or control, one would have thought that the boy would have shown a least a tinge of fear, yet he did not; only the specter of controlled rage glinted in his dark eyes and the tight line of his youthful mouth betrayed his strong resolve not to cave into to his captors. As he stood before the circle of strangers he opened and closed his tiny fists as if trying to retain control, it was as though, at any moment, the boy might lose his restraint and attack even against such outlandish odds.

"What is your name boy?" The tallish thin priest asked "You have no need to fear us, we simply wish to help you, so tell us your name."

"Lord Braska, it is futile, we questioned him for hours, prior to bringing him to you, with no success."

"Thank you, Reskar. You found him living alone in a cave. How long do you think he was there for?"

"Lord, considering the amount of debris and food stuffs cast about I would have to say three to five months."

"Three to five months! He is just a boy. How?" Braska was stunned. "He cannot be more than what, six years old? Can this be possible?"

"I do not know Lord, but it is apparent that the lad is quite resourceful, and somewhat skilled at an early age in the use of this." At that Reskar drew a katana from the pack on his back. "Kirrick is at the healers as we speak, he made the error of forgetting that even lion cubs are born with claws." Reskar handed the blade to Braska who studied the weapon closely and then eyed the boy.

"This katana, you are too young to have earned such a fine sword," Braska paused, still staring at the seething boy. "I see. Maybe, maybe the weapon belonged to..."  
  
That is as far as the priest got before the boy exploded forward at him in a blind rage catching even the skilled monks surrounding him off guard. The tornadic bundle bowled Braska over and as strong hands fought to restrain the kicking and writhing dervish its small hands never gave up their frantic grasping and searching for the sword. Braska felt the boy's small fingers gouging at his face and eyes, his nose flared with pain as the boy smashed his tiny forehead into it, then finally the clobbered priest felt the flailing weight lifted off of him by the warriors. As he stood he watched incredulously as three of the big men tried to bring the furious child under control. Panting and unable to breath through his bleeding nose Braska ordered the boy taken to his home and guarded until he arrived. The other two priests present waged no complaint, they had already decided the boy would be far to difficult to deal with in a dormitory setting, the lunatic Braska was more than welcome to have the furious burden.


	2. Chapter2

Title: A Guardian' s Beginning

Author: Rothalion

Rating: PG-13

Summery: A story discussing Auron's youth and early years.

Genre: General

Review: 

Disclaimer: Square owns them I just like to play with them.

A Guardian's Beginning

Chapter 2

"What is your name? Where are you from? Where are your parents? Yevon! Stop throwing your food at the wall!"

Braska asked the boy the same questions everyday in the same order for three straight weeks without receiving as much as a 'Shut up priest and let me alone.' Nothing, no response, only that he was becoming quite proficient at ducking when the wraiths meals flew across the eating area. 'At least,' Braska thought' he hits the same spot each time, less mess.' The priest was beginning to think that his charge was quite simply demented in some way, but his sense as a healer did not indicate that, so he stood his ground and committed himself to wait as long as it took.

During the course of the following four weeks Braska scored one small victory. The boy had finally relented and put on the blue acolytes robes which Braska had provided for him; at least now he was no longer stalking around the house naked. Aside from that, the food still flew and a tense silence pervaded the priest's small seaside home. Braska had to admit to himself that maybe the boy had more problems than even a strong healer such as himself could contend with, but something about the lad sang out to the priest, something made him desire to keep the boy despite the stress and the hardship, something said that this boy needed him, and conversely Braska felt as if he some how needed the boy. While Braska didn't understand it and basically tossed it off as yet another example of his stubborn devotion to aiding wounded beings he still could not deny the tug at his heart when he was near the lost child. He strengthened his resolve and swore to Yevon that he would weather out the stormy child's tantrums.

The Beville sky tore open during the tenth week of Braska's war. The rain and wind buffeted the small house which was high on a cliff overlooking the sea and thunder and lightning rattled windows in their wooden frames. Braska awoke only long enough to acknowledge the storm's presence and fell quickly back to sleep. The boy, in his small room across the hall, awoke in terror. Climbing from his bed he crouched in the corner trembling with fear, alone, in the lightning shattered darkness; frozen by his fright of the unrelenting wind, rain and thunder. Then, in his terror, he remembered the priest across the hall. Standing he scurried through the lightening shattered darkness to the priest's room and silently pushed the slightly ajar door open. The space was shot into view by a brilliant flash of purplish white light followed by an immediate crash of thunder. The proximity of the blast drove the boy forward. Reaching out, with shaking hands, and trying to be as quiet as possible the boy peeled back the edge of the blanket covering the sleeping priest and climbed into the warm bed, curling up into a very small ball as close to sleeping man as he could get. Braska awoke to the slight addition of weight on his mattress.

"What?..." He raised himself up on his elbow and peered down at the boy in sleepy confusion. Then he felt it. The boy was trembling violently, obviously terrified by the screaming storm. Braska wrapped his arms around the dark haired child and pulled him tighter to his chest. To Braska's shock, the bundle spoke, his voice nearly drowned out by the storm. Merely a shaking whisper.

"I ---I----am called---Auron."

"What?" Braska asked pushing again up onto his elbow.

"Auron-----I am called Auron, and I am, I am sorry that I fought with you."

"Sleep Auron, sleep my Little Lion, you are safe now." Braska stroked Auron's dark hair and rubbed his back until the trembling eased and the boy finally slept. The priest then also fell back into slumber.


	3. chapter3

Title: A Guardian's Beginning

Author: Rothalion

Rating: PG-13 Rape

Summery: A story discussing Auron's youth and early years. How Braska raised the orphaned boy and Auron struggled to overcome his fears. Our red warrior wasn't always as fierce as we know him to be. Much of his younger life was important in that part of his development. Kinoc pays a visit as well as a few original characters. Some chapters may be merged, I have struggled with how to divide them up.

Genre: General

Review: 

Disclaimer: Square owns them I just like to play with them. Reskar, Kirrick, Legeron, Lucian and Girig are mine and there may be a few others.

A Guardian's Beginning

Chapter 3

Storms. They would prove to be Auron's greatest fear. The wind, the rain, the lightning and the thunder. He feared it's lack of predictability, the randomness of the lightning and its devastating power. They were something that he could not control. An enemy he could not hope to defeat. Lightning could kill him and there was little he could do to prevent it. Sure there were magical bracers for protection but as a student he did not own one yet. Although the young man knew that his terror was irrational, he remained afraid throughout his childhood and adolescence. This day was a perfect example. It was storming and his silly fear was about to cause it to be a long and memorable one.

Girig, the sword master, had decided that training outside in the storm would be instructional. The poor footing, poor visibility and distraction of the thunder were all conditions that the young twelve to thirteen year old boys would need to be able to control to stay alive. The group gathered their weapons and headed out into the deluge.

"Lucian, where is Auron?" Girig asked the youth, after counting heads, his voice raised above the windy onslaught.

"Lord, I am not sure Lord." The boy replied squinting through the rain. "Is he not present?"

"Are we not supposed to look after the men in our unit Lucian? You are a unit leader. Auron 'is' a member of your unit." The swords master strode quickly to the frightened boy. "Answer me Lucian! Auron, where is he?"

Lucian knew exactly where his friend was. Huddled in the shower area, retching as he nearly always did during a storm. The sound of the approaching thunder having sickened his stomach. Lucian had tried to drag Auron along but the storm was simply too violent, he would not budge from where he huddled in a stall, not even with the cruel taunting of many of the other boys. While they respected Auron's ability to fight this inane fear of his was the root of a never ending barrage of caustic and demeaning remarks. Lucian had tried to ward off the offending boys, happy that today they had given up quickly and that Auron was too sick to attack them physically, which had happened in the past with sad results. The young unit leader tried not to cave in before his angry instructor; and wished he was not feeling the anger and disappointment toward Auron that surged through his small frame when he thought about the problem his fellow student and friend was causing. Lucian would be punished for this, /again/, and the thought of it made him less than happy.

"Lord, Au...Auron is in the showers. The storm, Lord, you know...the storm. I tried to make him follow...he was ill...I..."

"Enough! You are an inept unit leader Lucian. If you cannot get one man to go into a storm how will get him to follow you into battle!" Girig turned and searched the anxious faces, "You are stripped of your ranking and Kinoc will replace you."

Lucian was devastated. His father would be furious. Auron had brought him great shame. Head bowed he stepped from the front of the group and replaced Kinoc in a central position, fighting against the tears that struggled for release. Tears of anger, tears of hate and tears of failure. Girig left the group in the hands of the unit leaders and went into the temple to deal with Auron, firm in his resolve to put an end to the nonsense of fearing storms.

Girig stormed through the training area and went straight to the showers. Without announcing his presence the instructor began to search the stalls for the frightened youth. Three stalls down he found Auron cowering in a corner. Girig held nothing in reserve, the big man grabbed the boy by his long dark hair and yanking him to his feet dragged him from the stall. Auron struggled along behind the angry teacher as best as he could considering Girig's hold on him.

Once the pair was out on the training floor Girig threw the boy to the floor and stood over him.

"Get up boy!" He screamed at the shocked youth. Auron rose to his knees and bowed in submission. The teacher's hand flew out and slapped Auron across the face knocking him backwards once again. "I told you to get up!"

Auron rose to his knees again and was slapped back down, Spinning from the blow he landed on his stomach and received a boot to the ribs. Girig gave the command again, and after Auron obeyed he was driven to the floor with another blow. The process was repeated over and over and over until Auron simply refused to comply. The beaten youth cowered on the floor his face a battered mess, his nose was bleeding and his eyes were swelling shut. Girig screamed the command, kneeling down to be on Auron's level.

"Are you 'again' refusing a command from your superior? Are you Auron? Get up! What, is your fear is holding you back, fear of injury to 'yourself'? You must overcome your fear if wish to command. What about your comrades Auron, would you let them go into danger alone? While you stayed behind frozen by your fear. Would you?" Girig grabbed Auron by the hair and threw him across the floor, then following the youths rolling body screamed the command again, "Get up Auron! I command you to get up, do you refuse? Get up boy!"

Gasping for air Auron rose again to his knees, only to be driven down. Somewhere in the back of his screaming, pain filed brain he wondered if Girig meant to kill him. The instructor was hitting him hard, holding little back, his hardened fists, half the size of Auron's head, reigned blow after blow down upon his faltering body. Again the command, again he was driven to the floor. He was dizzy and his mouth tasted like sulfur.

"Get up Auron!" Girig ordered hovering over the barely conscious boy, "Get on your knees!"

Auron rose, and waited for the blow. He could no longer see well, and his swollen nose made breathing difficult. The blow did not come.

"Stand."

Auron stood and flinched when Girig grabbed at his elbow to steady him. Tears slipped down his battered cheeks despite all his efforts to prevent them. He was sick to his stomach, from fear and adrenalin and he wanted to collapse, curl in a ball and sleep but Girig was not through yet.

"I will give you two choices of punishment boy." He watched his student sag as he realized that the lesson was not yet over. "Number one: you go into the storm and receive fifteen strikes in front of the comrades that you let down, and the commander you disobeyed; or two: you remain in the safety of the building and receive thirty, fifteen for failing to obey Lucian's orders and fifteen for cowardice. It is your choice. You will carry the scars of this decision on your body and in you heart for the rest of your life so choose wisely."

Lightning flashed and thunder pounded, Auron flinched and dropped to his knees, bowing his head.

"Lord, I will receive my punishment with the others." The beaten boy stood slowly and made his way staggering out into the storm.

When Kinoc saw Auron and Girig approaching he called the unit to attention, and turned to await his orders from the instructor. The sight of Auron shocked him. His friend had been badly beaten, and looked ready to collapse. Behind him he heard murmuring. Girig, Kinoc knew, could be a brutal taskmaster, but never before had he seen him treat anyone so harshly. Kinoc was afraid for Auron.

Standing behind Auron, the old teacher reached out and tore the boys robe off his shoulders. He then pushed Auron viciously down onto his knees in the mud.

"Lucian, come forward!" Girig ordered, and when the youth stepped up Girig handed him a rattan staff. "As a leader you must also be able to administer discipline. You will give Auron fifteen strikes for his cowardice and insubordination, Kinoc you will assist."

Lucian took the staff hesitantly from Girig and moved behind Auron, Kinoc stepped forward to order the strikes. Lucian raised the staff as tears slid down his cheeks. Auron was his friend and despite his earlier anger he did not, when it actually came down to it, wish to harm him. Before he could strike Auron spoke halting him.

"My Lord, I request... a change in my punishment."

"Speak." Girig ordered.

"My Lord I would request the full thirty strikes, the extra fifteen for my cowardice."

"Granted. Kinoc begin." Girig smiled in the rain, 'Yes,' he thought to himself 'Even though flawed, Auron was indeed a strong one.'

At Kinoc's count Lucian brought the staff down across Auron's bare shoulders. The young man again cursed Auron, fifteen was bad enough, thirty would deal considerable damage to the already battered boy. He knew that he could not hold back, or face the same punishment himself.

Auron barely heard Kinoc count out thirty. All the injured boy knew was that he was not struck again and that strong hands were helping him to stand. Just inside the training room doors he collapsed. Girig ordered Kinoc to take a message to Braska saying that Auron would not be returning home and would be at the healers and to come quickly. He ordered the boy not to explain what had occurred, Girig knew that Braska would be angry at his treatment of Auron but the boy had needed to be taught a lesson.


	4. chapter4

Title: A Guardian' s Beginning

Author: Rothalion

Rating: R; Violent rape though not graphically described, language.

Summery: A story discussing Auron's youth and early years. How Braska raised the orphaned boy and Auron struggled to overcome his fears. Our red warrior wasn't always as fierce as we know him to be. Much of his younger life was important in that part of his development. Kinoc pays a visit as well as a few original characters. Some chapters may be merged, I have struggled with how to divide them up.

Genre: General

Review: 

Disclaimer: Square owns them I just like to play with them. Reskar, Kirrick, Legeron, Lucian and Girig are mine and there may be a few others.

A Guardian's Beginning

Chapter 4

Auron never again refused to go out and train in storms. Girig's lesson, while harsh, insured that the young man would probably always think twice before refusing a command, but did little to squelch his pupil's terror of lightening. Unfortunately Auron's fighting in the dreaded weather was haphazard and had led to many accidents and errors. The boy was distracted by the storms and his reactions were slowed. His ability to make timely decisions impaired his attempts to command and on at least five occasions he had inadvertently wounded his fellow students due to his lack of concentration. He still fought a running battle with the fellow students who thought his fear ridiculous. Auron was becoming an outcast; having had even his closest companions drift away in their attempt to avoid the stigma of their friend's strange fears. The newest incident occurred some months after the caning and did nothing to bring the group any closer together.

The group had gone out with a unit of older boys on a reconnaissance lesson when a fierce thunder storm blew in. Auron had been in charge of his unit and due to his poor reactions during the storm the older group, led by a brutish trainee named Legeron, ended up cut off from the main party and under attack from a group of formidable fiends. The older boys took some serious injuries in the battle and Legeron had declared that he was more than through with dealing with Auron's ineptness. Once back in the temple the older boy headed almost immediately for the tired and ashamed Auron and began a scathing tirade.

"You! Thunder boy!" The angry youth hollered approaching Auron rapidly from behind. The seated boy didn't move. He sighed and threw his pants into his small stall with the rest of his sopping clothes and waited. He knew what was coming, and he did not need to look up to see that the other young men from his own unit had stepped safely away, some of them drifting out of the room entirely. Braska had ordered him not to retaliate against the taunts of the other boys until he dealt with his senseless fear so he could only sit and suffer the tongue lashing. "You! Auron the fearless, or should I say Auron the terrified?" The older boys with Legeron laughed loudly at their leader's taunts.

Legeron reached out and yanked Auron off of the wooden bench by his black hair and tossed him brutishly to the hard stone floor. Hands on his bare hips he stared down at the target of his wrath. Auron for his part sat there not wanting to meet the angry glare of the naked young man standing over him.

"You got my men hurt today Thunder Boy! Again! I am sick to death of your nonsense. Girig should have tossed your lame ass out of here long ago!" He reached down and yanked Auron's head roughly back again by his hair. Then leaning in so that they were nose to nose he spoke in a vengeful hiss, "Yea, but I'm gonna take care of that mistake right now. Yup...'cause if you can show your cowardly face here again after I am done with you today, and I doubt you will... maybe, just maybe... I will let you stay!" The ensconced youth closed the distance between him and Auron and savagely bit into the younger boy's bottom lip.

Legeron, his fist still wrapped in Auron's hair yanked the naked youth up onto his knees and released him. The boy knelt unmoving as his attacker circled him. His lip hurt and he sorely wished that Braska had not bound his fists with his order of tolerance. Legeron stopped before him and after what, to Auron, seemed like a fiendish chuckle Legeron spoke again.

"Do you know, Thunder Boy, what I like before a good hard fuck, do you?" When Auron didn't answer he punched the prone youth squarely in his already bloodied face. "Answer your superiors when they speak to you, Thunder Boy! Have you learned nothing?"

"No, Legeron." It was a whisper. His lip was swollen and stinging. "Yes, Legeron."

"Well, Thunder Boy, I like to take a good long piss." He threw his head back and laughed at his own taunt. Tossing a look over his shoulder at the group behind him. "Yup, and do you know what you're lacking, Thunder Boy?"

"No, Legeron." Auron replied quickly this time hoping to avoid being struck again. Legeron punched him anyway.

"Well Thunder Boy you lack the putrid, yellow stink of fear." Legeron laughed again, "But I'm gonna fix that and 'then' I think I'll have me a nice, hard fuck in your virginal ass. What about it Thunder Boy? How do 'you' feel about a good hard fuck?" Legeron grabbed himself and urinated on the boy kneeling before him. Once finished he wasted no time in snatching Auron up once again by the hair and after twisting the smaller youth's arm torturously behind his back he slammed his victim into the wall face first and whispered in his ear. "Like I said Thunder Boy, after today you want to return tomorrow. After today curling up and dying will seem good to you."

Legeron had his way with Auron, whispering in the boy's ear telling him what he was going to do to him as he readied himself. The rest of the group, young and old, stood and looked on. While ashamed for their friend none of Auron's fellow students would step forward to his aid. They simply cringed in horror as the battered and betrayed youth screamed in agony. When he was finished Legeron held the tortured boy against the cold stone wall, a huge hand in the center of his back, and spoke. He should not have. The words he would speak cut across all the already shattered lines of Auron's self control and while no one had stepped in to aid the dark hair youth during his torment it would take six of the older boys to save their leader from Auron's wrath.

"Did you like it Thunder Boy? Did you? Yea, come on back in the morning. I rather like you. You can be my new bitch." Legeron spoke loud enough for all to hear. "A hell of a lot better then that Al Bhed lovin' bitch of a priest you call father could ever give you wasn't ..."

Despite his pain, despite his orders to not fight back, despite his terror and shame, Auron found the strength to turn on his attacker. None of the group would ever forget the sheer, unbridled ferocity and brutality of the stricken boys attack.

That night Girig sought out Braska in yet another attempt to get to bottom of his student's terror. Auron had dressed quickly after being dragged off of Legeron and had gone missing. Girig hoped the boy had fled home to Braska. He hadn't. Legeron, although older and bigger than Auron had been very badly beaten in the fight, a testament to Auron's ferocity, and was still, at nightfall, many hours after the fight in the hands of the healers. Girig, while he knew of Legeron's taunting of the younger boy was not aware of the entirety of Auron's torment at the older student's hands. The instructor simply thought that Auron had snapped, as a result acting as violently as he had.

"Braska we train him to be a 'Warrior' Monk. Warriors, Braska, in case you've not noticed, are 'not' afraid of the damn rain!" The teacher stomped angrily around in a circle kicking at the small stones in Braska's garden. The man was angry and worried. The thought of dismissing Auron from the temple made him feel ill. "Yevon, Braska, you 'have' to do something about his fear of thunder! Time is running out. Even after five years under my tutelage, five years of trying to beat it, talk it, and somehow rationalize it out of him he remains terrified! I am out of ideas, other then...then to dismiss him. He is dangerous to his fellow students and to himself. Damn it Braska! Help me here! He nearly killed Legeron! and that, after you order him not to fight back! Yevon knows he is a great talent, and that I love him like a son but..."

Braska stood and slowly, shaking his head, walked to where the old instructor had finally come to halt in his pacing. The tall priest held out his hands asking Girig to stop talking for a moment. His face was marked with sadness and worry at the turn of events that the teacher had just shared with him. Auron, he was told had pummeled the older, stronger Legeron nearly to death. Braska had few words for the instructor. He assured Girig that he would talk to Auron, lay down the law try to get him to come around...what else could he say? The two devised a plan to drive Auron's fear of storms away and then Girig left. Auron though was still out there somewhere, alone and hurt enduring his newest punishment for his weakness. The two men had no idea just how hurt and ashamed their young charge was. Nor would they ever, anytime soon.


	5. chapter 5

Title: A Guardian' s Beginning

Author: Rothalion

Rating: PG-13 Rape

Summery: A story discussing Auron's youth and early years. How Braska raised the orphaned boy and Auron struggled to overcome his fears. Our red warrior wasn't always as fierce as we know him to be. Much of his younger life was important in that part of his development. Kinoc pays a visit as well as a few original characters. Some chapters may be merged, I have struggled with how to divide them up.

Genre: General

Review: 

Disclaimer: Square owns them I just like to play with them. Reskar, Kirrick, Legeron, Lucian and Girig are mine and there may be a few others.

A Guardian's Beginning

Chapter 6

Late that night after the instructor had gone Braska sat in his soft arm chair staring into the fire. Auron had still not returned. The priest was growing more and more concerned by the minuet, it was not like Auron to just vanish. He pondered, with a heavy heart the plan that he and Girig had decided upon to attempt to deal with the boy's fear. Braska loved the youth and did not wish to hurt him, but Girig was right. Something must be done. Finally he sighed in relief as he heard the front door open and close. Braska counted his charge's quiet steps as Auron tried to sneak into the safety of his bedroom.

"Little Lion, please come here." Braska held his voice steady and kept the tone consoling. After a moment the boy appeared in the study and moving in front of the priest he dropped to his knees and placed his forehead on the floor at Braska's bare feet. The stiffness of Auron's movements was not lost to the healer.

"Yes, my Lord."

"You are injured Little Lion." Braska reached down and lifted the boy's head. "I should heal you." The gentle healer gasped as Auron recoiled at the offer. Confused by the strange response Braska tried to touch the boys head.

"No my lord. The wounds are minor, I will heal." The boy stayed just out of Braska's reach. If Braska was allowed to heal him the priest would know the full extent of his injuries. Auron did not wish that. The shame was his and he would suffer it alone.

"What happened today Little Lion?" Braska felt a shiver of fear run through his chest, Auron was not himself and the priest could not help but think that whatever had occurred in the showers that day was far more than a simple beating as punishment for Auron's fear. The boy must have been pushed to the brink of sanity for him to have attacked Legeron against Braska's orders.

"It is over my Lord. I just need to sleep. Please, may I go?"

"Certainly Auron. Certainly." He watched as the boy slowly stood and doggedly made his way from the room.

Some hours later Braska feigned sleep as he heard the door to his sleeping quarters open. Through barely open eyes he watched as the boy crossed to the bed, and closed them as Auron carefully drew back the covers. The bed shifted as Auron crawled into it, curled into a tight ball and pulled the blanket up to his chin. Braska could feel the boy trembling and his memory shot backwards five years. Wrapping his arms around Auron he pulled him close and spoke to him in soothing tones.

"My little Lion, tell me, tell me what he did. Let me help you. Let me heal you. I can tell you are in pain." Braska stroked Auron's hair and rubbed his back gently. The boy's only response was to push deeper into Braska's comforting embrace and begin to softly cry.

"From...from now on my Lord... I...I will be all alone... at the temple. In the world ... I will have, I will love only you. I have been shamed. I have been...been completely abandoned." While Auron had not expected the aid or sympathy of his fellow students and did not hold their inaction against them, the fact that they had simply stood and 'watched' him be tortured as he had been, cut deeply into his heart. He knew that he could never stand by and allow any of them to be treated the way Legeron had treated him. Auron would die first. Punishment was punishment. What Legeron had done was quite simply an act of wanton brutality.

"Auron, why son, why do you fear it so?" He clutched onto the boy as the sobs grew stronger and Auron's battered body shook.

"Lord, I do not know. I do not know. It owns my heart."


	6. chapter 6

Title: A Guardian' s Beginning

Author: Rothalion

Rating: PG-13 Rape

Summery: A story discussing Auron's youth and early years. How Braska raised the orphaned boy and Auron struggled to overcome his fears. Our red warrior wasn't always as fierce as we know him to be. Much of his younger life was important in that part of his development. Kinoc pays a visit as well as a few original characters. Some chapters may be merged, I have struggled with how to divide them up.

Genre: General

Review: 

Disclaimer: Square owns them I just like to play with them. Reskar, Kirrick, Legeron, Lucian and Girig are mine and there may be a few others.

A Blitzer Awakens

Chapter 6

Auron returned to the temple in the morning. He attended breakfast but took his meal and sat alone as far from the other boys as possible. The morning classes proved a bit more difficult, the boys had assigned seats and the battered young man was forced to be near the others. None of them caused him a problem and a few even tried to talk to him, but Auron had made up his mind to set himself adrift within the temple structure and he ignored them. He would never again depend on another man for anything. He would never again call a man friend.

Lunch came and went, a repeat of breakfast. Auron sat alone. He ate quickly and left the hall silently. He wanted to get to the weapons training area before the others. The thought of going into the shower room turned his stomach. He was sitting on the wooden bench preparing for class when Girig entered. Despite himself he jumped at the sound of his instructor's voice.

"Auron? You are quite early." Girig was stunned at the fear he read in Auron's deep brown eyes. "I frightened you?"

"Yes, no my lord...I just wanted to be ahead of the others I..."

Girig reached out, cupped Auron's chin in his huge calloused hand and studied the ugly purple green bruises that covered his cheeks and the tear in his lower lip.

"Braska did not heal you?" He asked peering at Auron through old and knowledgeable eyes.

"No lord. The...the shame is mine. I will bear it alone."

"I see." Girig released him. He was no fool; the boy was in pain and afraid. "Are you able to train?"

"Yes, Lord. As always." He tried to hide the tremor in his voice. The day's training would be torturous. He had no clue how he was going to function on the mats when the simple act of walking was practically unbearable. "I...I am fine. I just wanted to get ready before...before the others arrived."

"Alright son, then continue."

If someone had asked him, Auron would not have been able to tell how he survived the training that day. His agony was complete, yet he would not let a single tear or sound of pain be seen or heard. Girig knew that his young student was in pain, a great deal of pain yet he respected Auron's strength and drove the youth as hard as he would have on a normal day. Auron never faltered. The surge of relief he felt when Girig called a halt to the training nearly collapsed his knees.

Auron entered the showers with the rest of the boys but quickly retreated to the stall farthest from the group. In complete exhaustion he finally allowed himself to crumble to the floor. The hot water coursed over his tortured frame and he let his bitter tears slip down his cheeks to mix with his blood and spiral down the drain. He curled in around himself and waited patiently for the tremors to leave his body.

Auron wasn't sure how long he'd been crouched there when a soft and frightened voice dragged him back from his agony.

"Aur." A soft hand stroked his cheek. "Auron. Please." Lucian was shocked at the distress and hurt he read in his friend's eyes when the head finally lifted.

"Leave me Lucian. I have accepted the judgment of you and the others. Just leave me."

"No Aur, I...we..."

"You've all made your choice Lucian, now live with it. Leave me. I have no companions here any longer." Auron pushed himself up from the floor and shut off the water.

"Auron, Aur please...we were frightened." Lucian spoke the words before he realized the irony of them, Auron's rueful laughter at the remark was not missed either.

"Frightened Lucian? So was I. What will 'your' punishment for being afraid be Lucian? I do not blame you. I do not hate you. I simple accept your choice to turn from me. I will finish my time here alone."


End file.
